Process for the manufacture of soft cheese



Patented Sept 27, 1932 UNITED STA ss PATENT oral-ca rnmx urnnnaarxsnn, or MILWAUKEE, wrsconsm, ASSIGNOB 'ro rABsr coaron-A @1011, or MILWAUKEE, wrsconsm, A conronArIoN or wrsconsm .J k rnocnss iron; rim MANUFACTURE or sorr cnnasa No Drawing.

tongue, to'a smooth, creamy, buttery texture. Any consistency within the above range can be predetermined and produced with great exactness. The cheese produced also has a new, clean, attractive flavor. Sweetness 1n the flavormay be adjusted according to this invention to any desired amount through complete. control of the milk sugar content of,

the product. Theeproduct of this invention j 7 has superior keeping qualities and may be time.

produced centrally in quantity and widely distributed at reasonable cost ,and without danger of spoiling. The cheese of this invention can be produced from wholesome and nutritious materials whichare at the same time not. excessively costly. The process of this invention issimple and 'direct and one which can "be completed a relatively short The manufacture of a soft cheese having all of the above characteristics, it is believed, prior to this invention has never been accom-' plished. This is true in spite of the many .efiorts made in the past to make a completely satisfactory product of this type. The manufacture of-cheese of this type has been-carried on according tothe Neufchatel process. The Neufchatel process may be classed as-a very sensitive process. That is p to say that from day to day uniform resultscan be obtain nly with theymost skillful operation. T flavor, texture g and keeping qualities of the Neufchatel product at times are excellent, butmore frequently the prod net is faulty in keeping quality, flavor and texture. There is little-or no opportunity to correct the productand the process is, in

addition, a laborious one.

More recently a cheese of 'this type has been made according to the process described in Patent No. 1,661,601, to A rthur C. Dahl- App1ication filed June 17, 1 931. Serial No. 545,149

berg. This process can be controlled to produce a uniform product from day to day. The process is simple and economical. The process is adapted to produce, however, only one single type of product. This product contains a large proportion of casein, butterfat, some acid and anappreciable quantity of milk sugar. Due to the natural properties of casein the product has a gummy, plastic. buttery texture which is very characteristic J and the flavor of the product is sweet, .due to the high milk sugar content. The flavor is attractive but sweet-sour rather than of a clean, 'acidtaste and'the product is limited in popularity and usefulness due to its characteristictexture and excessively sweet flavor.

The process" of this invention, on the other without being buttery and' sticky. It fractures with a clean breakrather than the indefinite cleavage characteristic of pastiness.

The departure of the process of this invention from other processes lies in choosing ingredi-ents and methods of compounding which permitcompfete control of the milk sugar content together with the form of the 8b casein. Other processes starting with milk,

cream, milk powder and the like are confined as? minimum to'the natural and appreciable mi k sugar content of thesematerials, In such processes as the Dahlberg process the milk sugar content cannot be controlled independently of the .casein content. The 1 conversion of the'casein content of the Dahl-- berg product to paracasein has been attempt- I ed without successful results. Conversion. has been obtained. but with such detrimental effect upon the product that the product is of very little use. I In the process of this inivention, wherein young cheese or a'other Jproper casein product, butterfat and water are employed, the milk sugar contentcan be? very low because these ingredients contain only minute amounts ofthe material. ,7 By employlng youngfpheeseor proper casein. product as an ngredients. 3 stantial: proportion of paracasein is obtained. In a cheese such as American cheese the casein has been acted upon by rennet enzynie and converted to aracasein.

The fol owing process is an example of one method of practicing the invention. American cheese approximately one week from the press is comminuted and emulsified with an emulsifier such as tri-sodium phosphate and water by methods well known in the artof manufacturing process cheese. The amount of water used is governed by the moisture content desired in the finished product. To this emulsified cheese is added sweet butter to an approximate proportion of three parts by weight of sweet butter to one part by weight of the original cheese. Approximately onehalf of one per cent. (0.5%) by weight of common salt and one-half of one per cent. (0.5%) by weight'of milk sugar are added and the mixture is pasteurized by heating, wlth stirring, to 180 degrees F. The mixture is then cooled to 110 degrees F. and one-half to two per cent. (0.5 to 2.0%) by weight of good commercial starter added. The mixture is then passed through a coarse strainer and then homogenized. The homogenization produces a creamy consistency in the mixture. As the material comes from the homogenizer it can be poured at once into the final container or into larger containers for subsequent subdivision. In either case the material is cooled to approximately seventy degrees F. and held at this temperature for from ten to twenty hours or longer until sufficient acid is developed to produce a. mild acid flavor. With the development of acidity the mixture acquires a moderately 'firm body, such as is desired in this type of cheese.

The cheese can be consumed immediately upon the completion of the above steps or can be stored for extended periods if the temperature is maintained between thirty-two and forty degrees F. The cheese made as directed above may be held for two weeks or longer at a temperature of seventy de rees F. without appreciable deterioration in avor but such practice is not to be recommended and is merely cited as an indication of the excellent keeping qualities of the product.

This invention may be practiced in several difierent ways. For example, in the place of young American cheese, rennet casein, -eottage cheese and other materials containing paracasein in considerable quantities may be used. In place of sweet butter, heavy cream or butter oil or related materials may be used as a source of butterfat. The addition of salt and milk sugar may also be varied or omitted Q0 and otherflavoring material and condiments added. In any case the steps of the'invention will be practiced in a manner similar to the process outlined above with minor alterations,'such as the order of addition of salt, butterfat, etc. The homogenization might also be accomplished in two steps, treating the material both before and after the butterfat is added or'before or after the starter is added. The order of the steps, however,

practiced in this form where a different texture is wanted and Where the good flavor made possible by this invention is desired.

The term cheese substance is herein intended to designate any casein containing derivative of milk which is substantially free of milk sugar. The casein content of cheese substances can be in the form of normal casein, paracasein or a mixture of the two.

The process'of this invention has been carefully and completely described and detailed directions given for the practice of it in one specific form. It is intended that protection of Letters Patent be given not only to the specific form described but to the full spirit of the invention as represented by the appended claims. p

' What I claim as my invention is:

1. The process of manufacturing a soft cream cheese. which consists in emulsif ing a cheese substance substantially free 0 milk sugar, mixing therewith butterfat substance in weight approximately three times the original weight of the cheese substance, adding a small amount of milk sugar, pasteurizing the mixture by heating and stirring, cooling the mixture, adding starter, passing the mixture through an homogenizer, and maintaining the mixture at acid developing temperature until acid flavor is produced.

2. A process for the manufacture of a soft cream cheese which consists in mixing an emulsifier and Water with a cheese substance containing substantial amounts of paracasein, emulsifying the same, adding sweet butter in amount approximately three times the weight of the original cheese substance, adding approximately 0.5 per cent. of com mon salt and 0.5 per cent. of milk sugar, pasteurizing the mixture, cooling the mixture to "about one Hundred and ten degrees F., adding from 0.5 to 2.0 per cent. of commercial starter, passing the material through a homogenizer, and maintaining the mixture at approximately; seventy degrees F. for a period in excess of ten hours..'-

3. A process for the manufactureof a sof cream cheese which. consists in mixing an emulsifier and water with American cheese about one'week from the press, emulsifying the same, adding sweet butter in amount approximately three times the weight of the original cheese substance, adding approximately 0.5 per cent. of common salt and0.5 per cent. of milk sugar, pasteurizing the mixture and stirring, cooling the mixture below about one hundred and ten degrees F. adding approximately 0.5 to 2.0 per cent. 0% good commercial starter, passing the material through a homogenizer, and maintaining the mixture at approximately seventy degrees F. until a satisfactory acid flavor is obtained.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

FELIX M. FREDERIKSEN. 

